Gastroenterology Research and Practice (Jan 2015)

Does the Addition of Cetuximab to Radiochemotherapy Improve Outcome of Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer? Long-Term Results from Phase II Trials

  • M. Kripp,
  • K. Horisberger,
  • S. Mai,
  • P. Kienle,
  • T. Gaiser,
  • S. Post,
  • F. Wenz,
  • K. Merx,
  • R.-D. Hofheinz

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/273489
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2015

Abstract

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Purpose. The addition of cetuximab to radiochemotherapy (RCT) failed to improve complete response rates in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). We report the long-term results in patients treated within two sequential clinical trials. Methods. Patients receiving neoadjuvant RCT using capecitabine and irinotecan (CapIri) within a phase I/II trial or CapIri + cetuximab within a phase II trial were evaluated for analysis of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). KRAS exon 2 mutational status had been analyzed in patients receiving cetuximab. Results. 37 patients from the CapIri trial and 49 patients from the CapIri-cetuximab treatment group were evaluable. Median follow-up time was 75.2 months. The 5-year DFS rate was 82% (CapIri) and 79% (CapIri-cetuximab) (P=0.62). The median OS was 127.4 months. 5-year OS was 73% for both groups (CapIri and CapIri-cetuximab) (P=0.61). No significant difference in DFS (P=0.86) or OS (P=0.39) was noticed between patients receiving CapIri and those receiving CapIri-cetuximab with KRAS wild-type tumors. Conclusions. As the addition of cetuximab did not improve neither DFS nor OS it should not play a role in the perioperative treatment of patients with LARC, not even of patients with (K)RAS WT tumors.